


fortune favors

by Mantykora



Series: The Records of Konoha Founders [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 05:09:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13697529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mantykora/pseuds/Mantykora
Summary: Madara learned that fortune favors everyone, but Tobirama.





	fortune favors

**Author's Note:**

> A short drabble set in the Founders Era.

A late night meeting on Konoha's planning and finances at Hashirama's house turned into an impromptu card game session. Of course there was sake and gambling involved. To Madara's dismay, Tobirama did his darnest to swiftly intercept every one of Hashirama's suggestions and filter them to mitigated any potential damage before it could even unfurl. And this way it was decided that instead of betting money or possessions (as it should go in any adult game in Madara's honest opinion that he loudly expressed beforehand) they would simply be betting things that were currently on their person and until one of them run out of the things to spare. On Tobirama's insistence it was later extended from garments to any hidden weapons currently on their person. Madara drew the line at a senbon counting as one piece of the deposit.

It was common knowledge that while Hashirama Senju took to gambling like a duck to water it did not translate well into great achievements. Hashirama was more infamous for their lack thereof, earning himself quite a poor reputation in this particular discipline. A few rounds into game and despite the amount of sake consumed it was clear as a day to Madara that whoever made that claim had never played against Tobirama Senju. Because if Hashirama was known far and wide across the Land of Fire as the Great Sucker, Madara had no idea how to call the disaster that was his younger brother. Nevertheless, it did explain where Hashirama's confidence in his gambling abilities came from since the younger Senju was probably the first opponent the elder brother honed his skills on. It also did explain why you could never see Tobirama near a gambling pit (and dragging his brother out of one did not count).

While Hashirama's luck came and went throughout the game, Tobirama's was consistently on a downward spiral.

So far Hashirama retained one of his socks and the obi belt (Madara still could not grasp the logic behind this order of possession disposal) and acquired one of his brother's sandals and his happuri (that he proudly displayed on his face in his drunken haze). Madara had to concede to him the loss of his fan and hair pin. On the opposite side of the table, Tobirama was desperately clinging to his last bits of dignity (and modesty) in the form of the white fur pelt-slash-loincloth now, having run out of his hidden weapon stash a while ago. Obviously, Madara had everything else. He was hard pressed not to admit that he would feel less guilty with lifting candies off children than off the Senju brothers.

To tell the truth Madara could not begrudge Tobirama his ability to play (but the near constant watch and the looks full of suspicion thrown his way were beginning to affect his mood). While Hashirama dived into the game head-first and without any hesitation, more often than not betting against the odds and keeping his fingers crossed for lady luck to smile at him this round around, Tobirama believed in temperance. He tracked the game, assessed the risk, could tell when to fold and when to press on. Tobirama Senju would be a descent player in this game if only the cards themselves didn't appear to be playing against him. Madara had to admit that it was pitiful to watch a usually level-headed man reduced to a twitchy, teeth-grinding mess. Not that he had any pity to spare for the sore looser.

He smirked at the silently fuming Tobirama and threw on the table the turquoise short-sleeved kimono, Tobirama's, because he could. Of course Hashirama did not want to be any less and threw in the happuri. It was welling up to be the sink or swim for Tobirama. He would either walk home with all his key possessions back or with his bare ass for all Konoha to see. Madara was smug to note that all his marked kunai were on his side of the table. Since it was quite late into the night the Senju might even make it without anyone witnessing his walk of shame (ANBU were duty bound to retain some semblance of discretion on their leaders private affairs).

Tobirama answered him with a smug smirk of his own and under the influence of liquid courage in his vein, he threw in his fur pelt, modesty be damned.

It was the final show of hands (and Tobirama's to be or not to be).

In the end Madara had to acknowledge that apparently every dog was bound to have his day.

"Oh, would you look at that!" Hashirama chirped in happily, totally oblivious to what was going on and what was at stakes right under his nose.

Madara had to rephrase the previous statement: every dog had to have his day, unless his name was Tobirama and he had a brother named Hashirama.

"Though luck," he toasted and in one move emptied his sake cup. Hashirama enthusiastically joined in.

He was not ashamed to admit that he would forever savor the look of utter disbelief and betrayal Tobirama was sending both Hashirama and the cards on the table.


End file.
